The Ultimate Vegetarian Chili and Lessons from a Party Hosting Pro

It was 9:30pm and I was eating my third bowl of vegetarian chili.

I could have made excuses, like “it was a cold bike ride,” or “I have no personal insulation,” or “I haven’t eaten all day!” But the bike ride had been two hours before and the last one about not having eaten was obviously a lie. If eating one meal is good, then eating three is surely a barrel of monkeys, goes my thought process.

I guess that’s also how I felt about the chili, because bowl three was even better than bowl two and bowl one – especially since I knew it wasn’t full of lard or preservative-laden junk that would make me too sleepy or too heavy to bike home.

Because what people might not know about vegetarian chili is that it’s the ultimate comfort food – when made correctly. It’s deceivingly light, wonderfully warm and thoroughly satisfying. And with all those spices and chile peppers, you don’t need beef or pork to create real flavour.

What people might also not know is that chili is the best idea for a housewarming. There’s nothing like walking into a home with the smells of slow-cooked and spicy fire simmering away. It lures people in and adds about 25 party points to the rating of an awesome party (there’s a 100 point scale, fyi). Guests have to stick around at least until it’s served and then longer still once the craving is satisfied and the endorphins rush in.

And if anyone knows how to throw a party, it’s this lady, my friend. She had heaping hand-cut (take that IGA) appetizer platters of fruit, vegetables, cheeses, dips and snacks to begin. Then there were perfectly timed shots of whisky to get people’s spirits up.

And then there was chili. A veg and a non-veg. And while many started with meat, there wasn’t a bowl of the veggie version left at the end of the night.

Obviously I asked for the recipe. The secret is creating depth or umami. That comes from cocoa powder, mustard powder, a dried chili or two, a little brown sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and maybe some red wine. After that, it’s a vegetable free-for-all – zucchini, celery, corn, sweet potato or whatever you feel like adding. Everything just gets tossed in the slow-cooker together except onions and garlic, which need a sauté in oil before being added to the slow-cooker. No one likes crunchy onions in their chili. I often leave out the onions and garlic, though, because it eliminates a step, which means you get your chili cooking faster (though with less umami).

You might not all have a friend who can throw as great a party as mine, but at least now you can eat her chili, one-to-three bowls at a time.

The Ultimate Vegetarian Chili Recipe

Use any kind of beans you like. And you’re totally allowed to use canned instead of fresh cooked, but points for saving money if not time. Double up the recipe if you want to freeze some for later, or if you’re cooking for a crowd. My umami secret is to smoke the chili pepper. It’s adequately smoked just before the fire alarm goes off, which you’ll only know by when the fire alarm goes off – an imperfect art, I admit. 

1-2 dried pasilla, ancho or anaheim chili pepper (you can also play around with other large, long peppers, but be careful with the small fiery ones – you’re going for flavour here, not tongue-burning heat)
Optional: 1 cup chopped onions, 3 cloves garlic minced, 2 tsp olive oil
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one 540mL can)
2 cups cooked large white beans (or one 540mL can)
2 cups cooked small white beans (or one 540mL can)
1 can diced tomatoes, with juices
2 peppers (red, orange or yellow)
1 small delicata or Kabocha squash, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)
2 tbsp chipotle chili powder (do not skip this!)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp maple syrup, optional
1 tsp brown sugar (or 1 tbsp if you don’t use the maple syrup)
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp mustard powder
1 cup red wine, optional (add 1 cup of water or vegetable broth if not using wine)

Remove the seeds, stem and any white membrane from the dried chili pepper and tear into flat pieces. Place in a large oil-free skillet over medium heat and cook, turning occasionally, until aromatic and slightly charred (see fire alarm note above), about ten minutes.

If using onions and garlic, wipe out skillet, add the oil and then sauté the onions and garlic until softened, about 5-8 minutes.

Combine with dried peppers and all remaining ingredients in the slow-cooker and cook on high for 6-8 hours or on low for 8-10.

Photo from Steven Depolo on flickr.